Review for PATCH UP by Stephanie Witter

Title: Patch Up (Patch Up, #1)
Author: Stephanie Witter
Date Published: September 11, 2013
Publisher: Anchor Group Publishing
Source: ARC from author

Skye followed her long time boyfriend to Seattle for their first year of college, but he dumped her after only a week. The relationship brought only pain and destruction in Skye's life, and yet, she can't bring herself to open up and live her life.

"What if I am already broken into pieces?"

She hates to be touched, hiding under her oversized shirts and behind her wild frizzy hair. Even her bubbly roommate can't reach her. And yet ...

"I'm the guy who knows how you can hurt so much that your insides feel like they're cut and bleeding."

The tall, handsome, and tattooed TA in her psychology class changes everything when he literally collides with her and confronts her. For the first time in a long time, she wants to try and open up to this guy whose dark, intense eyes can't hide his own pain despite his dazzling smile getting to her.

However, just when she's starting to live again, her ex-boyfriend comes back, breaking her time and time again, making it all the more complicated.

She wants to fight for herself and for this building thing with the TA, even when he pushes her away, but can two broken people patch each other up?

"I never thought colliding with someone could change lives, but it is possible."

* Due to some shocking scenes, this novel is for readers of 18 and up. 

 

 

 



My Thoughts:

 

 

 

I'm often drawn to books in which the main character has experienced a tragedy or a difficult past, and yet somehow manages to rise above his or her circumstances.  Skye's story is somewhat unique, in that she is still experiencing her nightmare, and every time she thinks it's over, it comes back to haunt her in the form of her ex-boyfriend, Sean. You see, Skye dated Sean for three years (most of which was while she was still in high school), and then she followed him across the country in order to go to the same university together. Shortly after arriving, however, he abruptly ended things with her.

 

Or so she thought.

 

Skye is broken and defeated, and tries her best to not think of anything but her education.  She shuts out everyone around her, and tries not to be noticed by anyone. Her ex really did a number on her.

 

Something that I admired about this book was how the author did not make all of the problems or psychological damage that Skye or Duke faced,  go away overnight. And although Duke was supportive and let her trust him, Skye didn't use him as a crutch and did not just wake up the next day completely better all of a sudden. Vice versa, Duke continued to battle his own demons throughout everything. Now I'm not saying that I want characters to continue to suffer (that's not it at all), it's just that in some stories I read, the characters will have gone through hard situations, and once they let someone in (that they barely know), all of a sudden the insecurities and internal damage that  the characters had been dealing with is just brushed over. I find myself scratching my head and feeling doubtful.  Patch Up was all about the journey of two young adults who are trying to discover their worth, free themselves, and to face each day looking forward and not back.

One of my favorite characters in Patch Up, was Skye's roommate, Kate. Everyone should have a Kate. She tried so hard to be Skye's friend, and was determined not to give up on her. Although, she too had her own problems, she was just a beautiful person, both inside and out.

I have to say, this book had a lot of 'two steps forward and two steps back' for both Skye and Duke. Every time they would start to make progress or to begin to trust one another, something would happen and they would run away, refusing to talk things out. Sometimes it got frustrating. I could understand why it happened on Skye's part, but I didn't always get why Duke behaved that way.

I am really looking forward to the next book in the Patch Up series, and the continuation of Duke and Skye's story. I also understand that there will be a book with Kate's story, and I am beyond excited to read that!

4 Stars